


Legendary

by MrRhapsodist



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bedtime Stories, F/F, Meet-Cute, Memories, Romance, Sharing a Bed, jeditestor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 12:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7052629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrRhapsodist/pseuds/MrRhapsodist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Starkiller Base destroyed, Jessika Pava returns to base with the other triumphant Resistance fighters. There, she crosses paths with another person from the battle: a strange young woman from Jakku, with a powerful destiny ahead of her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Legendary

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for all you Jeditestor fans who want an ongoing series, but this is gonna be a one-shot. Still, I hope it meets with your satisfaction like it did for me!

_They came from different worlds. One, a daughter of sun and sand. The other, an heir of green lands and mighty oceans._

_War brought them together. Only the Force could say why._

_Only the Force knew what they could become._

* * *

Achieving escape velocity from the atmosphere of a planet was easy enough with the sublight engines of a T-70 X-wing fighter. But doing the same feat while the world was imploding on itself with the power of a sun, while the atmosphere itself burst into open flame from all sides, was nothing short of a living nightmare.

Raw terror slid through Jessika Pava’s veins as she struggled with the control yoke of her snubfighter. She didn’t have long to enjoy the thrill of victory when Poe Dameron’s ship emerged from the inside of Starkiller Base’s thermal oscillator. Fire and chaos followed in his wake and soon the entire Resistance task force was shooting for open sky. From her cockpit, Jessika only got fleeting glimpses of airfields and other ground formations collapsing in sprays of fire and ash.

She couldn’t have imagined a worse hell than to be on the ground with no chance of escape.

As soon as she saw faint white stars appear against the darkness, her heart soared. Jessika angled her fighter into a loose formation with the rest of Blue Squadron.

Her comm crackled with fresh static as Black Leader’s voice came over all channels. “ _All teams! I got eyes on them!_ ”

Jessika didn’t have to ask who he meant. The moment she heard Poe’s voice, her eyes tracked a fast-moving streak that slipped through the heart of Black Squadron’s surviving ships. A battered, ancient Corellian stock light freighter that nimbly inserted itself dead-center into the Resistance task force as they broke free of the gravity wall—or what was left of it. With her comm still open, she heard nearly every last surviving fighter pilot cheering along with Poe as the _Millennium Falcon_ joined them in their desperate escape.

She couldn’t believe she was here. Jessika would be telling her grandchildren about this moment.

Behind them, the planet broke apart in a brilliant cataclysm. Ash and blackened earth gave way to a new star, as the last of the First Order’s stellar energy reserves broke free of their restraints. Jessika couldn’t imagine how something so terrible had become so beautiful.

“ _Our job’s done here,_ ” Poe said over the comm. “ _Let’s go home!_ ”

Jessika hit the hyperdrive switch. She grinned as the stars around her stretched toward infinity.

* * *

Back on D’Qar, the corridors were still buzzing with cheers and friendly slaps on the arm—or similar appendages—as pilots and soldiers of the Resistance came flooding back in from the airfield. The senior officers broke away toward the command center while the majority of the pilots and troops headed for the mess hall, already ordering and grabbing bottles of Corellian ale. In the mass hysteria, few paid attention to the pair of figures who walked far behind the crowds, holding onto one another.

“Thank you,” said Rey. She towered over the other woman, but her arm was wrapped around her waist like she was only a small child. “You’re far too kind, General.”

“Please.” General Leia Organa offered her a smile, sounding as exhausted as she looked. “Call me Leia. And it’s the least I can do.” Her smile faltered. “I... I know what Han meant to you. And I’m glad you were there for him.”

Rey found herself blinking back sudden tears. “But I... I wasn’t. I couldn’t save him—”

“It’s not your fault.” They stopped, and Leia reached up to touch Rey’s cheek. Her tender touch was a stark contrast to her stern expression and her practical attire. “Hey, listen. It was _not_ your fault, Rey. I know it better than anyone else.”

As she listened, Rey could feel the truth behind those words. She saw an old, experienced woman, but something new had awoken in her. Maz Kanata had called it “the light.” And it was light. Rey saw something beautiful beyond sight when she looked at Leia. It was like watching the sunrise on Jakku or the thrill of her first scavenger hunt in the ruins of the crashed Star Destroyer. But thinking on those lines brought back memories of the raw power that drove through her during her fight with the creature in the mask, with falling snow and rage amidst flashes of red and blue.

“ _You need a teacher! I can show you the ways of the Force!_ ”

“Rey?” Leia’s question broke her flashback.

The young scavenger blinked and reached to wipe away tears that had started to run down her face. “I’m sorry. It’s still too close for me.”

Leia nodded. “Of course.” She stepped back and regarded the younger woman with a gentle, uncritical smile. “I think we might need some space, you and I. And you look like you could use a good meal, a shower, and some sleep.”

The thought of hot running water on her bare skin made Rey smile back. She nodded and bent down to hug the General.

“Come on,” said Leia, patting her back. “I know someone who’ll be a great help to you.”

* * *

“Yo, Testor!”

Jessika looked away from the memorial wall in the eastern wing of the base. She quickly dabbed at her eyes, which had begun to mist over. It was hard to look at the recent additions that had been made on the wall, including good fliers like Ello Asty. But it was easier to meet the eyes of a real-life pilot like Temmin Wexley, who came jogging around the corner.

“What is it, Snap?” Jessika brushed back her hair. She regained her composure in a heartbeat, just as she would if General Organa herself showed up.

“Word just came down from the General.” Temmin paused to catch his breath and leaned against the wall. He did, however, have the decency to avoid obscuring the memorial list with his body. “You got space in your quarters? ’Cause you’re getting a guest for the night.”

“A guest?” Jessika tilted her head. “Let me guess. A rookie?”

“Not exactly.” Temmin’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t hear this from me, but rumor’s going around that she got busted out of some interrogation cell on Starkiller Base before it blew.”

Jessika froze. “You’re kidding me. She’s a defector?”

“Nah, nothing like that. Fact is...” Temmin shrugged. “Well, to be honest, I don’t have the first clue what she is, but the General’s got a soft spot for her. So she’s bunking with you.”

Hearing that explanation left the fighter pilot more than a little conflicted. Of course, she’d sworn an oath when she joined the Resistance, just as Poe and Temmin had done. She’d follow her orders and give the fullest commitment until the First Order was no more. But there was a price to that service, and right now, the thrill of their first major success against the enemy was tempered with the heartbreak of so many pilots who weren’t there anymore. Blue Squadron had taken quite a few casualties during the trench run, and Jessika didn’t feel ready to meet new faces just yet. Not when she couldn’t get the old ones out of her head.

Her eyes met her comrade’s face, and she found herself nodding. “I guess I’ll play hostess tonight. Who’s the girl?”

Temmin smiled. With a snap of his fingers, he gestured back down the way he’d come. “Come and find out.”

* * *

Shame was something of a foreign emotion to Rey, so she didn’t think much of stripping down and hopping underneath an actual hot running shower as soon as the booth opened up. She did, however, take notice of the green timer display on the wall, which counted down the five minutes she had to clean herself off. Scrubbing away sweat, dirt, and blood from her pores felt like more than just getting rid of the stain of battle she’d just faced. It was like getting rid of every long year she’d spent on Jakku.

“ _The belonging you seek is not behind you,_ ” Maz had told her. “ _It is ahead._ ”

Rey was beginning to believe it. In her mind’s eye, she saw a distant figure. She remembered the islands dotting an endless ocean, the same ocean that had always haunted her dreams. Only now she saw someone waiting there.

The hero of the ages. Luke Skywalker.

Could it really be true?

As she left the shower, Rey noticed that someone had placed a towel and a set of clothes on the bench outside. When she dried herself off, she examined the clothes. They were, to her surprise, a perfect fit, and not too dissimilar from the rugged outfit she’d worn on Jakku. Leather of this quality had been hard to come by on the desert world. And the sleeves were a welcome addition, especially after the blistering cold of the First Order planet that she’d escaped.

“Looks good,” a voice called out.

Rey spun around, her hands covering up her chest even though, she realized, that she was already fully dressed. Standing in the doorway was a Resistance pilot. She had long black hair tied back in a ponytail and small, twinkling eyes. Her rakish smile caught Rey off-guard more than anything else. She felt like a trespasser, even while the pilot smiled and shook her head.

“Sorry if I scared you,” the pilot continued. She extended her hand. “Jessika Pava. I fly with Blue Squadron. And _you_ must be Rey.”

“I-I am.” Rey swallowed and shook her hand.

Much like earlier, she calmed down and let her newfound sense of the Force reach out across the room. The other pilot’s spirit shone out to her like a candle in the night, flickering and weak but brilliant in the contrast. Rey allowed herself a smile as the comforting feeling of Jessika’s presence took hold.

“Well, I’m here to make sure you get settled in for the night.” Jessika’s eyes softened. “I understand you’ve had a terrible time with the First Order.”

Snow, lightsabers, and blasterfire flashed through her mind in a second.

“Yes,” said Rey. “Quite terrible.”

“It’s none of my business, I’m sure.” Jessika stepped back and gestured to the corridor outside the showers. “C’mon. I’m sure we can still grab some food in the mess hall if you’re up for it.”

Food. Actual food. Not merely the portions doled out by Unkar Plutt after hours of scavenging. Rey’s heart skipped a beat, and she nodded. “Yes, please!”

Jessika laughed. “Well, come on then!”

* * *

Back home on Dandoran, Jessika had seen plenty instances of both affluence and hardship. She’d rubbed elbows with smugglers, crime lords, petty thieves, and Old Imperial sympathizers with far too much money. But never before had she seen anyone attack a plate of food with such intensity as Rey did. The poor girl ate several helpings and gulped an entire liter of water in one setting, as though she hadn’t eaten a proper meal in months. She even shut out Jessika, who didn’t mind and continued to pick at her late-night flatcake with a fork.

Thankfully, the mess hall was empty now. The post-battle celebrations had died down as the nighttime shifts began and reserve crews took over for the war-weary control staffers. All Jessika and Rey had for company was Kan Secunda, the base’s old Twi’lek bartender and chef, and a small fleet of maintenance droids cleaning tables and spills on the floor.

Finally, with a mighty sigh, Rey pushed away her plate and sank onto her elbows. She took several deep breaths before glancing up at Jessika with a gracious smile.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Don’t sweat it,” Jessika replied, tapping her fork against her plate. “You must not have gotten much fine cuisine when you were on...?”

“Jakku.”

“Right, Jakku.” She kept her face and tone neutral, but Jessika could tell a lot about Rey just by that admission. How many poor scavengers had toiled away for generations on that planet, picking up pieces from the climactic final battle?

Then again, how many junkers ended up a high-priority prisoner in the First Order’s clutches?

Mysteries like that could wait until morning. In the peaceful din of the mess hall, fatigue from a long day of flying and fighting was beginning to tear down Jessika’s resolve. She stretched out her arms and fought to stifle a yawn between her lips.

“Come on,” she said through an inevitable yawn. “I’m sure you’re more exhausted than I am. My bunk’s not too far from here.”

Rey nodded and stood up as soon as Jessika did. “Of course. And thank you again.”

“Seriously, you don’t have to keep saying that.”

“Right!” A blush rose on the scavenger’s cheeks. “Er, sorry.”

Jessika laughed and led the way out. She had to admit that, for all the strength she saw in the other woman’s muscles and gait, Rey was surprisingly inexperienced. Even being in a mundane setting like the Resistance base seemed to enthrall her. As they headed down corridors and around corners, Jessika noticed the girl looking intently at every little detail, from service droids to security cameras. She lingered as well when they passed the infirmary, where Rey looked in through the open doorway.

There was no need to ask why. Jessika had heard from Poe about the young man who’d been taken off the _Millennium Falcon_ when it landed. A fine-looking stormtrooper who’d gone toe-to-toe with Kylo Ren himself. Whether or not he’d make it was up to the medics, if not the Force. When she saw Rey staring through the door at the comatose trooper, she could almost see some energy field swirling around her. Something like fear, or maybe just concern.

Clearing her throat, Jessika got Rey’s attention again. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be fine. We have the best medics that the Republic can spare.”

She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. Not as reassuring as she would’ve liked. But if Rey heard that falsehood, she didn’t show it. She only nodded and continued to follow Jessika back into her quarters.

“Home” for Jessika was a small section of the women’s barracks on the northwestern side of the base. The room had been designed to house up to six pilots or soldiers at once, with bunk beds lying three walls and the fourth given over to the door and a trio of lockers. However, after the most recent battle against the First Order, the only ones who would be sleeping in that section tonight were Jessika and her guest. She paused at the doorway, allowing herself only a moment or two to soak in the absences she felt when she looked at the empty beds and unopened lockers.

A soft hand touched her shoulder. “Are you all right?” asked Rey.

Jessika nodded and forced herself to smile. “I’m fine, thanks. Just give me a second.” She drew in a slow breath, counted to ten, and let it out. Her exhaustion and grief retreated once more, and she could focus on her task at hand. Another handy trick she’d learned from Temmin Wexley. When she turned back to Rey, her smile was genuine. “Since we’ve got plenty of room, you can take the bottom bunk if you want. I’ll sleep up top.”

“Um, all right.” Rey hesitated before smiling back. “You’re sure I’m not imposing on you?”

“Why would you be?” Jessika reached out and took her by the shoulder, guiding the young girl into the room before she could protest further. “Consider yourself my guest, even if it is at the General’s request.”

Rey took her time moving into the room, slowly turning around to get a good look at everything. Jessika, however, began stripping off the remainder of her flight suit and storing her gear in the nearest locker. She took one look at her reflection in the small mirror she’d glued to the inside of her locker door and saw a fatigued star pilot with terrible bags under reddened eyes. Jessika gave her reflection a tiny grimace and turned to the collection of keepsakes she kept near the bottom of the container.

She didn’t have much from her travels before joining the Resistance. A holo of her family back on Dandoran, a deck of sabacc cards, a datacard full of Old Republic lore, and one strange little trinket she’d picked up at a bazaar on Abregado-rae. Pierced and hanging from an ancient leather strap, the amulet was etched and molded into the shape of a Republic credit coin.

“That’s lovely.”

Jessika almost leapt out of her skin. She turned over her shoulder to see Rey, who had been staring at the amulet. Without even thinking about it, Jessika closed her locker and positioned herself in front of the door. She fought not to blush in front of this stranger.

“It’s nothing,” she lied. “Just some old thing I found years ago.”

“But its condition!” Rey’s eyes were shining now. “I’ve seen Dekk-10 power couplings that weren’t in nearly such good shape at that amulet.” Her gaze wavered. “Er, it _is_ an amulet, isn’t it?”

Jessika hesitated before answering. “Yeah, it is.” She slid past Rey and headed over to the nearest bed, slumping down onto it in nothing but her sleep attire. “Listen. You ever hold onto something? Even when you know it’s foolish?”

A shadow crossed Rey’s face. “Yes. More than you know.”

“Well, that’s what that amulet means to me.” Jessika clasped her hands in front of herself and leaned over her knees. “This Bith merchant told me it was some long-lost treasure of the Jedi Knights. Sold it to me for a hefty sum, even though I almost _knew_ it was a forgery. But I bought it anyway because I believe in the Jedi.” A smile flickered across her face. “I grew up with stories about Luke Skywalker. The farmer who joined the Rebellion. The ace pilot who became a Jedi and brought down the Empire. Who didn’t want to be Luke when they grew up?”

Rey sat cross-legged on the floor across from her. She folded her hands in her lap, seeming very much like a timid little girl at that moment.

“I know what you mean,” she murmured. “I, um, kept this doll I made when I was little.” A blush formed on her cheeks as she spoke. “It was a Rebel pilot in uniform. Like the kind you all wear here. I used to come up with all sorts of stories about the adventures she had and the places she’d seen.”

“And what did you see, Rey?” Now Jessika’s curiosity got the better of her. She leaned forward again and scrutinized the other woman. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I...” Rey ducked her head. “I don’t know.”

“The First Order took you prisoner. What did they want from you?”

“They wanted information.” Rey’s jaw tightened. “About Luke Skywalker’s location. Because I saw the map.”

Jessika’s heart skipped a beat or two. “ _You_ saw it? You saw the map that Poe found?”

“I-I did. And that’s why I have to find him.” Swallowing, Rey lifted her head and looked up at Jessika. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears. “I need to know if he can help me. If he can... if he’ll teach me...”

The entire room went still. Jessika didn’t move a muscle. She could hardly even breathe.

Suddenly, Rey was far more fascinating a person than ever before. She’d begun as a prisoner of the enemy. Then she was a poor scraper from a junkyard of a planet. And now she was a real-life Force-sensitive. An actual prospect for Jedi training, sitting only half a meter away from Jessika and desperate to find a living legend who was hidden somewhere in the farthest corners of the galaxy.

“You’re amazing,” said Jessika. The words had flown out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying—or the awed tone in which she said it.

Rey blinked. “I’m not. I just deal with these amazing things, and I don’t know what I’m even doing anymore—”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Jessika slid off the bunk and took Rey’s hand. She gave it a squeeze and added, “None of us do, to be honest. That’s why we joined the Resistance. So that we could make a difference. And maybe you’re gonna make the biggest difference of them all.”

That shadow was back on Rey’s face. “You said you grew up with tales of the Jedi?”

“I sure did. You wanna hear them?”

Soon, the light came back to Rey’s eyes. “Please.”

Over the course of several minutes, as Jessika rambled on about the many histories and legends she’d pieced together, she turned down the lights in her quarters. Rey ended up in the bottom bunk and stayed quiet, but she was wide awake almost an hour later even when Jessika was falling asleep in the middle of her own story. A strange impulse grabbed the ace pilot, and soon she was climbing down and taking a seat beside Rey, who had curled herself up in the sheets and continued to listen patiently.

When she’d finished as much as she could, Jessika yawned into her hand. “I don’t think I’ll make it up to the top at this rate.”

Rey, to her surprise, seemed to have read her mind. Or maybe that was her Force-sensitivity at work. No sooner had Jessika expressed her feelings than Rey slid to the far side of the bed, leaving plenty of room for the X-wing pilot to make a sudden landing.

“Thanks,” said Jessika. She lowered herself next to Rey and closed her eyes.

“No, thank _you_ ,” Rey insisted. She fell silent for a moment. “Um, Jessika?”

“Call me Jess. What is it?”

“Do you think I can do this?”

Even as slumber overwhelmed the last of her defenses, Jessika couldn’t resist a tiny grin. “Sure you can. You’re a miracle, Rey. And we need them more than ever.”

She couldn’t tell if she was dreaming yet, but the last thing she heard was a sigh of relief.

* * *

 “Ahch-To.” Leia stared up at the hologram with a melancholy smile. “Of _course_ my brother would pick the most desolate corner of the galaxy to hide.”

“The data checks out.” From the opposite side of the projector table, Admiral Statura stroked his beard. “Lor San Tekka was one of the galaxy’s best deep space explorers. If anyone could have found the first Jedi Temple, it would’ve been him.”

Around the table, other generals nodded and murmured in agreement. See-Threepio swiveled his head to exchange a look with Artoo Detoo, whose exterior was still coated with a fine layer of dust from years of sitting idle. It warmed Leia’s heart to see the two droids together again. But she had to be careful. Thinking of the early days of the war with the Empire would bring back other memories.

Thoughts of Han, and of their son.

And she couldn’t be Leia the wife or Leia the mother at that moment. Not when so many were depending on her.

Clearing her throat, she said, “As much as I’d love to bring the entire Resistance to his doorstep, I can’t risk Luke’s safety. Not when the First Order is going to be prowling the spacelanes.”

“Agreed,” said Major Brance. He leaned over the projector table, tapping at a few controls. The display changed from the orbital view of Ahch-To to a galaxywide map, with numerous routes highlighted in orange. “Our last patrol picked up chatter from the Unknown Regions. Snoke is mobilizing an armada of Star Destroyers to target our base. Fortunately, the armada is still assembling as we speak, which gives us time to evacuate, General.”

Leia nodded. It was just like the aftermath of the first Death Star’s destruction. A short celebration of the survivors and the heroes, followed closely by a full evacuation and hours of enemy bombardment. But that was decades ago, and the First Order had technology and tactics that the Old Empire couldn’t have conceived of then.

In short, they had to leave _now._

“Then let’s begin the evacuation,” Leia announced. Her eyes scanned the many faces in the command center. “Non-essential personnel and supplies only.” She paused, considering the hologram that had until recently displayed a long-forgotten world. “And have the crews finish up the repairs on the _Millennium Falcon._ She’ll be flying out within the hour.”

* * *

Rey couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so good. Wearing her new outfit, with a staff that she’d assembled from spare parts slung across her back, she strode down the corridor of the base and out into the open air of D’Qar. For once in her life, she could wake up to fresh, icy air on an alien planet rather than the oppressive dry heat of Jakku. Not only that, but wherever she walked, she got curious glances and nods of approval from the various Resistance fighters. They didn’t even know her name, but they recognized her as one of their own.

“ _The only fight that matters,_ ” Maz Kanata had said back in her castle. Now Rey saw the truth of it. She’d seen it the night before in Jessika’s bunk, listening to her stories of the Jedi Knights.

This fight was her destiny. She was sure of it now.

In the distance, through the crowd of pilots and technicians racing around to prep their ships for launch, she caught a glimpse of the _Millennium Falcon_ in the distance. Crouched atop the hull, Chewbacca ran his fusion cutter through the innards of an open panel, soldering together parts that had been damaged during what Finn had said was a rough landing on the surface of Starkiller Base. Rey made her way toward the freighter, her pace picking up speed as she trotted past technical crews and droids hauling payloads onto waiting transports.

She was almost within reach of the starship when a voice called out, “Hey, Force be with you!”

Rey skidded to a halt. When she turned around, Jessika Pava appeared from underneath a nearby X-wing fighter. The other woman raced over to her side, with a helmet tucked under her arm and her hair pulled back into a simple braid. She flashed a grin at Rey right before they embraced.

“Thought I’d miss you in the excitement,” Jessika added. When she pulled back, the pilot regarded Rey with a thoughtful frown. “I still can’t believe you’re going, though. I’m jealous!”

Rey nodded. “I can’t believe it either. But I have to go.”

Jessika’s face flickered with some unreadable emotion. Her eyes searched Rey’s face for a second, and then she hugged Rey again. Rey didn’t mind. After all her solitude on Jakku, receiving hugs was something she realized that she’d been missing out on.

Then Jessika whispered into her ear, “I’ll miss you.”

Rey’s eyes flashed open. “What?”

“I said I’ll miss you.” The pilot’s arms tightened around her waist.

It took a long moment for Rey to understand what that meant. When she did, she looked down at Jessika and smiled.

“I’ll be back,” she promised. Then, as a thought struck her, she added, “And I’ll have plenty of stories from Luke to share with you.”

Jessika looked up with a hopeful smile. “You’d better.”

Rey laughed, but before she could stop her, she received a gentle kiss on the cheek. Jessika let go of her almost immediately and turned away. As Rey stared and lifted her hand to touch the warm spot on her face, the fighter pilot let out a tiny sigh.

“Consider that a promise, too,” Jessika explained. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

With her hand still on her cheek, Rey nodded. “O-okay.”

Jessika grinned and pointed a finger at her friend. “Hey, I meant what I said, too. May the Force be with you.”

Rey could only watch as the pilot left to join her comrades near the other end of the airfield. She kept staring until Jessika’ dark hair was lost in the sea of orange flight suits and brown crew uniforms. As she disappeared, Rey’s heart sank a little. She never liked being abandoned, but the heat on her face and the flutter in her chest said that it wasn’t permanent this time.

Then Rey let go of her cheek and turned back toward the _Falcon_.

To her surprise, Leia was waiting for her at the bottom of the open boarding ramp. The older woman wore a kind smile and had exchanged her military attire for a simple dark blue gown. When Rey drew close, Leia walked up to meet her and reached for the girl’s hands. She gave them a squeeze and regarded her like a mother looking after her child.

“You look good, dear,” said the General. She slid her gaze past Rey’s shoulder at the sea of pilots and soldiers on the other side of the field. “And I’m glad to see you’ve made a few friends, too.”

Rey blushed and averted her eyes. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Trust me, it’s not.” Leia squeezed her hands again. “I know something about trying to find a little happiness in the middle of a war.” Her voice cracked on the word _war,_ but she kept going. “It’s a hard road, but it’s worth it.”

Meeting Leia’s eyes, Rey could sense the truth behind her words. She imagined a fountain of heartbreak, sorrow, anger, and even joy bubbling up inside the older woman. So many decades of experiences, both beautiful and tragic. Rey couldn’t even imagine how anyone could stay sane with all those feelings bottled up inside for so long.

But after finding Luke, maybe she would know that road herself.


End file.
